UNIFOllMIXY OF WlilGHTS AND MEASURES. ^71 



KilogTcam of the Archives is a cyliader of platinum, without auy mark or 

 inscriptiou, in a box having the foUowing inscription : — 



KiLOGEAMME 



Conforme ti la loi du 18 Germinal an. III. 



Prcsentd le 4 Messidor an YII. 



Fortin f. 



The KUogram at the Conservatoire has been recently re-eonstrueted (1864), 

 and has the same form with the other. 



Two distinct comparisons were made between these Metres and Kilograms, 

 and the result was that those at the Conservatoire Avere found to bo 

 1-00000329 and 1-00000072 respectively, as compared with those of the 

 Ai'chives. In answer to the assertion that a cubic centimetre of distQled 

 water at 4° Centigrade of temperature did not in fact furnish the exact basis 

 for the weight of the Kilogram, it was stated that the difference Avas quite 

 infinitesimal, and that it had no value whatever when the exact standard was 

 kept, and that corresponded with the standard Kilogram of all nations. The 

 statements of General Morin and M. Tresca were considered highly satis- 

 factory, as giving every guarantee of sufHcieut exactitude, and completely 

 dispelled every doubt suggested on the subject. A Commission appointed 

 by the Committee afterwards inspected the Metre and Kilogram at the 

 Archives and Conservatoire, and having found them as described, made a 

 protocol signifying their satisfaction at tlie care with which the standards 

 were preserved, and at the results of the verification made. 



"\^''ith reference to the iiniformity of weights and measures, your Com- 

 mittee have therefore much pleasure in reporting that their task has been 

 greatly accelerated by the Conference described, and that there is every pro- 

 spect that the principal nations will speedily adopt the Metric System. In 

 the United Kingdom much remains to bo done on the subject. As j'et the 

 Metric System, though rendered legal, has made but little progress either in 

 general practice or even in the education of the people, and your Committee 

 are of opinion that the most efficient mode for promoting the early introduc- 

 tion of this salutary reform is to make the use of the Metric System compul- 

 sory at no distant period. They recommend, therefore, amongst other mea- 

 sures, that a bill be speedily introduced in Parliament providing that after a 

 given time the use of metric weights and measures shall become compulsory 

 throughout the United Kingdom. 



As regards the coinage, year Committee have to report the proceedings of 

 two important Conferences. The Monetary Convention signed at Paris 

 on the 23rd December 1865, by the representatives of France, Belgium, 

 Switzerland, and Italj', having established an agreement between four im- 

 portant countries whereby the coinage of each of them was made legally 

 current in all the others, great efforts have been made to induce other nations 

 to give their adhesion to the Convention. Hitherto the Convention was 

 made between nations Vt'hich had already an identical system of coinage. The 

 object of the Confereiice was to consider by what means those nations which 

 had a totally different system could be also united. This Conference, called 

 by the French Government, was hold at the Ministry of Foreign Aiiairs, 

 under the presidency of His Imperial Highness tb^e Prince Napoleon, and was 

 attended by representatives from Austria, Baden, Bavaria, Belgium, Denmark, 

 the United States, from Great Britain, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Por- 

 tugal, Prussia, Russia, Sweden, Norway, Switzerland, Turliey, and "NVurtem- 

 berg. The results of their deliberations were as follows. 



